When I have a camera in my hand, I know no fear. — Alfred Eisenstaedt
Traveling to remote lands in the back of a moving vehicle with camera in hand has been my liberation, and how this love affair first began. Other than my children, life has not presented itself with any other rewards that come close to the purity of satisfaction I feel from this creative and inspiring calling.
I feel fearless with camera in hand. Having grown up extremely shy, the camera has empowered me, and I transformed. I could walk into any public event and talk to strangers. It enabled me to meet and photograph various musicians in the 70’s during and after a concert. And none of this would be remotely possible without this piece of equipment around my neck.
The camera is that powerful, having been my security, my protector and my savior. It has the extraordinary capacity to stop a moment in time that never presents itself in that sameness. And when a moment is captured, I feel deeply elated and extremely exhilarated.
This gratification is purely therapeutic. For just around the corner is yet another hidden and exciting challenge that awakens my soul, reminding me just how alive I am.
With so little time to catch the slightest essence of a subject, concentrate on the eyes where their story is told. Who are you? What kind of life have you led? What are your challenges, fears and joys?
When I capture a subject’s intimate memory, pain, a secret, their dreams and quests, I also grow. We touch each other in our loneliness, making sense of just how deeply layered we all are.
For it is not by mere chance or accident that I am photographing all parts of myself.
judith farber
April, 2014